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Making warm and crusty homemade bread is easier than you’d imagine with this no knead skillet cheese bread. Perfect for dunking in warm soup, the cheese and parsley add extra yummy goodness!
For those who love bread-making, you’ll also want to try my popular flatbread recipe or this creamy spoon bread! I’m confident that both will be your new favorites!
Why I Love No Knead Bread
- Easy. If you’ve ever felt intimidated by the idea of making your own artisan bread, this is the bread to try. You don’t need a fancy bread maker or any tools other than a mixing bowl, wooden spoon, and a skillet.
- Cheesy. If you are a cheese lover, you will completely fall in love with this homemade bread. It’s cheesy, savory, and 100% satisfying.
- The crust. This cheese bread recipe has the perfect consistency, including a golden and crisp crust with a tender interior.
- Fresh. There’s something special about homemade bread just out of the oven. It’s fresh and fills your entire house with that delicious bakery smell.
What is No Knead Bread?
No knead bread is a simple bread-making method that requires no kneading. The dough is mixed and allowed to rise slowly, relying on time rather than kneading to develop gluten. This results in bread with a hearty crust and soft interior, and it’s perfect for those who want homemade bread with minimal effort.
Recipe Ingredients
- Luke Warm Water: Activates the yeast.
- Active Dry Yeast: Causes the dough to rise.
- Salt: Enhances flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: For this recipe, I use a little over 4 cups of flour.
- Garlic Powder: Adds a savory, garlicky flavor.
- Onion Powder: Provides a subtle onion taste.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese: Adds a rich, cheesy flavor and texture. Other melting cheeses like mozzarella or gouda can be substituted.
- Olive Oil: Used to coat the skillet and the dough, adding flavor and a crispy crust.
- Coarse Salt: Sprinkled on top for extra flavor and texture. Flaky sea salt is a good substitute.
- Dried Parsley: Used as a topping for additional flavor and visual appeal. Other herbs can also be used.
How to Make No Knead Cheese Bread
- Make the dough. Combine your water and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Add a cup of flour and salt and stir it all together. Stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, and cheese. Gradually add the remaining flour and stir everything until it is all well combined.
- Rise. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let your dough rise for 1 hour.
- Prepare. Grab a cast iron skillet and coat the bottom and sides with olive oil. Lightly flour your hands and transfer the dough to the skillet. Shape the dough into a round disk, cover it with a towel, and let it stand for 30 minutes.
- Preheat. While the dough rests, preheat your oven to 400˚F.
- Bake. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the top of the dough and sprinkle it with salt and parsley. Score the top of the loaf with a knife in a criss-cross pattern. Bake it for 30 minutes or until the top is a golden brown.
- Cool and Serve. Remove the cheese bread from the oven and immediately turn it out onto a cooling rack. Let it completely cool. Then, cut it and serve it with this butternut squash soup or a side of beer battered chicken!
Recipe Tips
- Cool it on a wire rack. To keep this skillet bread from getting soggy, remove it from the skillet as soon as you pull it out of the oven and transfer it to a wire rack.
- Skillet options. You do not need a skillet to make this bread. I know, it’s in the recipe title – but trust me, here. If you do not have a cast iron skillet, simply use a round stoneware baking dish instead!
- Use good cheddar. For better flavor, opt for a better quality cheddar cheese. You can even shred the cheese yourself.
- Double the recipe. You can double this cheese bread recipe, but don’t forget you’ll also need a bigger skillet. I recommend a 12-inch skillet for a double batch.
Serving Suggestions
Obviously, this no knead cheese bread goes great with a bowl of our creamy ravioli soup and a side of a salmon blt salad. It’s also great with hearty beef Guinness stew and pot roast. But don’t count it out on the side of a pasta dish, either. This chicken bacon ranch pasta or my creamy seafood pasta is fantastic. Basically, anything that is saucy is a perfect match for this bread.
How to Store Leftovers
The bread can be stored in a zip-top bag in a cool, dry place for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen for about 3 months.
More Homemade Bread Recipes
No Knead Cheese Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups luke warm water
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4⅓ cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- course salt
- dried parsley
Instructions
- Combine water and yeast in a large mixing bowl.
- Add 1 cup flour and ½ teaspoon salt to the yeast mixture; stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, and cheese.
- Add remaining flour, one cup at a time, stirring until well combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise for 1 hour.
- In the meantime, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to an 8-inch cast iron skillet and coat the bottom and sides of the skillet with the oil.
- Lightly flour your hands and transfer the dough to the skillet. Shape the dough into a round disk; cover with a towel and let it stand for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top of the dough and sprinkle it with salt and parsley. Then, score the top of the loaf with a knife.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
- Remove the bread from the oven and immediately turn it out onto a cooling rack.
- Let it completely cool before cutting into it.
Notes
- To freeze the dough: Make the dough as instructed and let it rise for 1 hour, per the recipe. Once risen, form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and then place it in a freezer-friendly container and keep it frozen for up to a month. When ready, thaw the frozen dough on the kitchen counter, let it rise, and bake as directed.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
I’ve made this multiple times and it is a true keeper. I upped the ante for a requested Jalapeño cheese bread. First time I used 3 fresh peppers with minimal taste but there. Next time I got a jar (9-10 oz) of “hot” sliced jalapeños. I diced about 1/3 of the jar and added 2 Tablespoons of the brine. I could certainly smell it much stronger. House smelled wonderful. Taste came out with medium bite- just what I wanted. Everyone loved it
That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Love this easy recipe. Just a few comments … I used a Dutch Oven because I didn’t have a cast iron skillet. I oiled the entire pan, but the bread stuck a little, however, with a knife around the edges, it came out of the pan. I misread the amount of flour, and used 41/2 cups, and the bread turned out pretty dense, but I like it that way. I used Tillamook medium cheddar, but couldn’t see any of it in the loaf, which I wasn’t really that concerned about. The bread was a bland for my taste, so, I would definitely add more salt, probably 1-1 1/2 tsp. Will definitely make this bread again.
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
This bread is so good. I have made it several times and the only Issue I have is that every time I score it it deflates quite a bit. I did use a very sharpe knife. Any suggestions??
Fantastic, tasty, and delish! AND, so easy. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m very happy you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Can I use bread flour?
I have not tested this recipe with bread flour, but bread flour should work in this recipe. Keep in mind, bread flour produces a stronger, chewier bread and that makes a big difference in recipes with only few other ingredients.
DELICIOUS! Sooooo… good. Will be making this again, for sure. Maybe next time will add some parmesan or shredded asiago to bring the cheesiness to the next level, but really is great as is! Loved the coarse salt on top!
Thank you so much! I am very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Can I use a stainless steel oven safe skillet?
I made this a couple of times and will make it again tomorrow.. My family loves it. I use a 10 inch skillet and it works great. I also use both cheddar and Parmesan cheese as well as adding fresh rosemary. A winner!
That’s great to hear! I’m very happy everyone loved it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Ok I am concerned about the 8 inch skillet. That is a #5. Huge size difference from a 10 inch that some are saying they used. I am concerned bread will spill over sides with the 8 inch. Thoughts?
I can’t tell you how many times I have made this amazing bread, and it has come out perfect every single time. The last time I used some leftover cheeses from our Christmas antipasto, and it was even more fabulous. It’s tough let it completely cool when there are 3 men fighting to cut it. Thank you so much for all of your fabulous recipes Katerina! You are a treasure!
That’s wonderful to hear! I’m very happy you loved it! Thank you for chiming in! 🙂